“To conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

Rep Jared Huffman’s HR.6687 failed to reach the Senate floor for a vote when the government was shut down in the final days of 2018. That doesn’t mean the bill can’t be reintroduced should Rep. Huffman decide to resurrect it, or fold it into an omnibus bill.

HR 6687 intended to permanently instate ranching at Point Reyes National Seashore and eliminate herds of native Tule Elk that beef and dairy ranchers complain eat grass that’s reserved for their cattle.

Huffman’s bill was co-sponsored by Congressmen Rob Bishop (R-UT), who led the Trump administration’s attack on public lands—shrinking Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments by millions of acres and opening parks, wilderness areas, and recreational lands to drilling, mining, and grazing.

Exterminated from Point Reyes peninsula and long thought to be extinct, Tule elk were reintroduced to the Seashore 50 years ago, and have since rebounded as a result of National Park Service’s efforts. The elk are found in no other national park.

Prior to this government shutdown, the National Park Service was working on a General Management Plan Amendment (GMPA) for Point Reyes National Seashore—a transparent process that provides for public review and comment into plans for our Seashore. HR 6687 attempted to preempt that process.

National parks are supposed to preserve our nation’s unique beauty, history, and natural resources, providing people refuge, education, and enjoyment. Point Reyes National Seashore belongs to all of us. Yet, private cattle now outnumber elk in the Seashore 10 to 1—testimony to the powerful interests seeking to privatize and profit from the public’s land and resources.

The draft GMPA and an Environmental Impact Statement for ranching at Point Reyes National Seashore will be out this summer. Your comments are crucial.

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In the midst of an urban population of more than 7 million people, Point Reyes National Seashore and its neighboring park, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, are unique fragments of wild California. Rare bunch grasses and wildflowers, Tule elk and spawning salmon are among more than 1,500 plant and animal species that depend on these national parks. Of these, more than 50 animal species and 50 plant species at Point Reyes Seashore are listed as rare, threatened, or endangered. Millions of visitors arrive annually to experience the wild Pacific coast, wind-swept grassy vistas, and landscapes that still hold remnants of what California looked like before European Contact. These national parks are at the center of a tug-of-war between public and private interests that soon will determine the future of these parks.

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Parks in Peril

Political forces, climate change, pollution, and accelerating rates of extinction have converged to threaten the places we all own in common. The pressure is on to allow oil and gas development, mining, hunting, logging, and grazing in some of our most beautiful, biologically diverse, and historic places—national parks, monuments, wilderness, and recreation areas. Although we all support public lands through our taxes, private interests are increasingly emboldened to exploit them for private profit. To make matters worse, federal budget cuts have led to crippling staff reductions at a time when demand for outdoor recreation and visits to our national parks are at an all time high. How do we defend America’s heritage and ensure that national parks will be “unimpaired” for generations to come?

Why Restore Point Reyes?

Urbanization, livestock grazing, logging, and agriculture have fragmented California’s native landscapes. Less than one percent of California’s grassland is still intact today. Remnants of once-vast coastal prairies still exist at Point Reyes National Seashore and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, with the potential to recover the rich biodiversity that has been lost to decades of cattle operations. To provide refuge for wildlife; restore habitats for threatened and endangered species; improve water quality; provide educational and volunteer opportunities; sustain cultural traditions of native peoples; preserve America’s natural heritage—is this not what our national parks were created for?

Speak Up for Your Park

Does ranching further the purposes of the national seashore? Are park ranchers who sold their land entitled to permanently profit from it? Who benefits from ranching? Do those benefits outweigh impacts to the climate, land, wildlife, and public enjoyment of the national park?

We all are have a stake in the future of our public lands. Polls show that the public favors greater protection for national parks and monuments. But agricultural interests have opposed the scientific analyses and management planning that the Seashore needs and the public deserves. They are working behind the scenes to change the law rather than risk that a concerned public will derail their plans for the Seashore. That’s why it’s crucial to stay informed and to take part in the planning process.

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Tule Elk

What and Who are Parks For?

Private ranching on 28,000 acres at Point Reyes National Seashore and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area is heavily subsidized by taxpayers. Impacts from the 6,000 beef and dairy cows at these parks are well documented: soil erosion, water pollution, invasive plants, declines in fish and bird populations, conflicts with wildlife, loss of public access to public land. Native Tule elk, the iconic symbol of Point Reyes Seashore, are found in no other national park. Most of the elk are confined behind an 8-foot-high fence to keep them off parkland leased for cattle grazing. Now, ranchers at the national seashore are pushing to “diversify” their operations. They want to add more livestock like sheep, goats, and chickens, and grow row crops. This calls into question the purpose of our national parks.

Take Action

Under a 2016 court ruling, the Park Service must analyze the impacts of cattle to natural resources, wildlife, and recreation at Point Reyes Seashore and the adjacent Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Park Service is required to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and update the Seashore’s 40-year-old General Management Plan (GMPA). The planning process gives the public a voice in deciding the future of these national parks. The articles, studies, and historical record assembled on this website are intended to inform and empower you to take action. Your comments are crucial to regaining the ecological balance and abundance of our national parks that are every Americans rightful heritage.

Join the NPS’s mailing list to be notified of public meetings and opportunities to comment.